Orangutans at Miami zoo use iPads to communicate

[Hum]

MIAMI (AP) ? The 8-year-old twins love their iPad. They draw, play games and expand their vocabulary. Their family's teenagers also like the hand-held computer tablets, too, but the clan's elders show no interest.

The orangutans at Miami's Jungle Island apparently are just like people when it comes to technology. The park is one of several zoos experimenting with computers and apes, letting its six orangutans use an iPad to communicate and as part of a mental stimulus program. Linda Jacobs, who oversees the program, hopes the devices will eventually help bridge the gap between humans and the endangered apes.

"Our young ones pick up on it. They understand it. It's like, 'Oh I get this,'" Jacobs said. "Our two older ones, they just are not interested. I think they just figure, 'I've gotten along just fine in this world without this communication-skill here and the iPad, and I don't need a computer.'"

Jacobs said she began letting the orangutans use iPads last summer, based on the suggestion of someone who had used the devices with dolphins. The software was originally designed for humans with autism and the screen displays pictures of various objects. A trainer then names one of the objects, and the ape presses the corresponding button.

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[jakem1]

Apes in captivity have been performing tasks on touchscreen computers for years now. This only seems newsworthy because of the fact that it's "cool" to see them doing it on an iPad :rolleyes:

[Japlabot]

I wonder what case they are using, it looks and would have to be fairly sturdy. I wouldn't mind one.

[Hum]

A monkey has an iPad, but I don't ... ? :laugh:

[webeagle12]

"So easy, even monkey can do it"

[+pmrd Subscriber²]

This proves that iPads are for primitive humans

[Hum]

^ And so begins, Planet of the Apes ...

[+pmrd Subscriber²]

^ And so begins, Planet of the Apes ...

I, for one, welcome our new monkey overlords. They can't be worse than our current world leaders, except they may be Apple fanboys, in that case we are ****ed. But seriously, the fact they wrote iPad all over the article is ridiculous and looks like a big ad for Apple.

[Dotdot]

Pfft bet my highscore on angrybirds is better

[remixedcat]

wonder if they get angry at angry birds?